Bartletts Solicitors recently represented a lady who successfully claimed compensation for slipping on a wet floor in a nightclub. Ms D had been spending the evening with three friends, when she slipped over on a puddle of spilled drink while walking across the dance floor to the nightclub’s bar. She had only drunk non-alcoholic drinks during the evening and was therefore in no way inebriated or lacking self control.
Ms D’s arm was sore after the fall but she did not pay it much attention, and about half an hour later went home with her friends in a taxi. The next morning her wrist was swollen up and her mother took her to the local hospital where an X-ray revealed a fractured bone in her wrist. Her forearm was in plaster for six weeks, and she did not regain full mobility in her wrist for over three months.
Our Legal Advice
Ms D got in touch with Bartletts Solicitors for a legal opinion after reading about our services online. She initially asked our solicitor; can I claim compensation for slipping on a dance floor? How can I prove that the dance floor was wet and caused my accident? We advised her that she had a valid claim and agreed to represent her on a no win no fee basis.
In outlining the grounds for her claim we argued that the nightclub owed Ms D a duty of care, and were it not for the unfit state of the dance floor, she would not have been injured while visiting the establishment on the night in question. Despite a stated policy of no drinking on the dance floor, this was not properly enforced at the nightclub, meaning that it was reasonably foreseeable that drinks would be spilled and that the dance floor would become slippery and potentially dangerous. We also took witness statements from Ms D’s friends which confirmed her version of events.
The nightclub’s owners initially denied responsibility, but after reviewing CCTV footage they subsequently acknowledged liability, and following negotiations we agreed a compensation settlement totally £2,500. Call us today and find out how much compensation for slipping in a nightclub.
If you have suffered an injury as a result of an accident in a nightclub that was not your fault, it will often be possible to claim compensation. If you want to know how to report an accident in a nightclub contact our firm today. Bartletts Solicitors has successfully represented guests injured at nightclubs across England and Wales.
Case Study: Slipping Accident in Nightclub
A recent client of Bartletts won a compensation settlement of £2,750, after she slipped and fell over at a nightclub where she was attending a friend’s birthday party. Ms A had had nothing alcoholic to drink before the accident, and was walking towards one the club’s bars, when she slipped on a pool of liquid on the floor, and fell awkwardly, spraining her ankle and tearing soft tissues in her lower back.
Ms A was escorted from the premises by her friends, and was driven to A&E by her father where doctors applied a splint to her ankle and later discharged her on crutches. Ms A was unable to walk properly for the next eight weeks, and experienced considerable difficulty in getting to and from courses at her college during that time.
Ms A’s father got in touch with Bartletts Solicitors on behalf of his injured daughter, and we subsequently agreed to represent her in a no win no fee personal injury claim against the nightclub’s owners. We requested and received CCTV footage from the club, which clearly showed our client’s accident, and also critically the fact that the spillage had not been noticed or cleaned up by staff for at least 45 minutes prior to the incident.
The club did not have a system of regular floor inspections in place, and furthermore should have provided some form of anti-slip absorbent matting or carpeting covering the hard floor surface on which Ms A slipped and fell. The company for forced to acknowledge full liability for the accident, given the fact that our client had not consumed any alcohol, and she later received a cheque from the nightclub’s insurers.
What Causes Slips, Trips and Falls in Nightclubs?
Slips, trips and falls cause the most amount of claims for accidents in nightclubs, with the vast majority of such accidents being caused by wet and slippery floors. These establishments often serve drinks to hundreds of customers over the course of an evening, and inevitably breakages and spilled drinks are regular occurrences. Even when spillages are cleaned up, floor surfaces may not be dried properly, leaving them wet, slippery and dangerous.
To avoid being sued for a personal injury it is critical that nightclubs have efficient systems of inspection and cleaning, as well as sufficient numbers of staff on duty to monitor the safety of the premises and take actions to eliminate spillages within a ‘reasonable’ time-frame. In practice this means that staff should always be on the lookout for spilled food and drink, and should take immediate action once a spillage is identified.
Any area of a nightclub may become slippery and dangerous, including bar areas, stairs, dance floors, bathrooms, fire escapes, entrances and exits. In winter, rain and slush may be trampled inside venues, and management should provide anti-slip matting or similar in affected areas. Poor lighting in sections of venues can also add to the risk of customers slipping or tripping and injuring themselves. Proper maintenance of a premises is therefore equally as important as an efficient system of inspection and cleaning in terms of minimising the risk of accidents in clubs.
Teacher Sues Venue For £150k After Slip on Wet Dance Floor
A teacher was recently left badly injured after falling on a ‘highly slippery’ dance floor at a wedding, and is currently suing the venue for £150,000. Ms Donovan claims that she slipped on a puddle of spilled drink while on the dance floor, and that the underfloor lighting made it difficult to see spillages on the dance floor’s surface. She sustained a badly broken elbow to her dominant right arm, requiring three operations, and claims that the injury has left her in permanent pain and discomfort, as well as unable to return to her teaching job.
Ms Donovan and her legal team claim that the dance floor’s supplier had warned that no drinks should be taken onto it due to the risk of a spillage on an already slippery floor surface, but that the venue took no action to stop wedding guests doing so. Tables were positioned around the edge of the dance floor, making it easy for guests to drink and dance at the same time, while the venue’s staff had apparently taken no action to deal with the spillage. The case is ongoing, and we will post an update on the verdict in due course.
Make a free compensation enquiry today
For specialist advice on your personal injury claim, call us now on Liverpool 0151 227 3391 or Chester 01244 645830 or Wrexham 01978 360056 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch.
